By Paul Levine Jun 21, 2006, 12:18 GMT
Los Angeles - Superstar Dwyane Wade carried the Miami Heat to a place they had never been before - NBA champions.
Miami Heat forward James Posey (L) and guard Dwyane Wade (R) celebrate winning the NBA Championship after beating the Dallas Mavericks 95-92 in game six of the NBA Finals at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, 20 June 2006. Wade was named the most valuable player of the championship. EPA/REX CURRY
Wade scored 36 points, including four key free throws in the final 26 seconds to go along with 10 rebounds, and the Heat held off the Dallas Mavericks, 95-92 Tuesday night in game six to win the NBA Finals, 4-2
'We deserve this,' Wade said. 'Winning four games in a row is not easy but we did it. It's just sweet.'
Wade put on his fourth consecutive one-man show to help the Heat overcome an 0-2 hole and prove doubters wrong along the way.
'I don't want to say I put this team on my back, because we did it together,' he said. 'It's been 15 strong, they put the ball in my hands, and my will to prove people wrong, to not worry about what people say about me.
'When I came into the series, people said I couldn't shoot, so I proved I can shoot. And I proved I can play. That's all I try to do, prove people wrong all the time.'
In his first trip to the Finals, Wade averaged 34.7 points, grabbed 7.8 rebounds, and handed out 3.8 assists to earn the 2006 Finals Most Valuable Player trophy.
'It's the best feeling in my life next to my wife and son,' he said. 'This is a team award just like it's a team championship.'
Miami earned its first championship in its 18-year existence and joined the 1969 Boston Celtics along with the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers as the only teams to bounce back from a 0-2 deficit in 60 Finals.
'It was our time,' said Heat coach Pat Riley, who earned his fifth championship ring. 'We had been talking about it all year long. It's all about being 15 strong.'
Udonis Haslem had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Antoine Walker had 14 and 11 rebounds for Miami, which won at Dallas for the first time in four years.
'Coach told us on June 8, we were going to win the first time we had an opportunity on June 20,' said Heat centre Shaquille O'Neal, who won his fourth championship ring despite just nine points and 12 rebounds in 25 foul-plagued minutes. 'I didn't have the best game. But D-Wade's been doing it all year. He's the best player ever.'
How confident was Riley?
'I packed one suit, one shirt and one tie,' he said before the game. 'That's it.'
German juggernaut Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points, but just two free throws in the fourth quarter to go along with 15 rebounds for Dallas, which ended the season with four straight losses. Jason Terry scored 16 points while Josh Howard finished with 14 and 12 rebounds.
'It's tough because you give it your best every night until the middle of June,' Nowitzki said. 'Then you make it to the Finals, to the big stage, and then go home second best. It's a tough one to swallow. Obviously, right now the frustration is high.'
The Mavericks looked be in good position to go up 3-0 with a 13-point lead late in game three at Miami. But Wade took over and continued to elevate his game as the Heat clawed its way back into the series.
'Dwyane was unstoppable, he really won them the championship from game three when we were up 10 (13),' Nowitzki said. 'He just took over from then. And never let up. He was great.'
In game six, Dallas blew an early 12-point lead and trailed 87-81 after James Posey buried a 3-pointer with 3:43 remaining. But the Mavericks drew to within 91-90 on a 3-pointer by Jerry Stackhouse and a jumper by Howard with 42.4 seconds to go.
On the next play, Wade drew a foul from Nowitzki and made both free throws with 26 seconds left for a three-point edge.
After a timeout, Nowitzki hit Erick Dampier with a pass in the lane, but he lost it while heading for a layup. Wade picked it up and was quickly fouled with 18 ticks left. Again he converted both from the charity stripe, making it a 95-90 game.
Howard sank two free throws at the other end to draw the Mavericks within three. Wade had a chance to clinch the win, but missed a pair of free throws, giving Dallas a chance with nine seconds remaining.
Following a timeout, Terry missed a wide open 3-pointer from the right wing that would have knotted the game. Wade grabbed the rebound and fired it high into the air as time expired to kick off the celebration in front of 20,000 disappointed fans at the American Airlines Centre.
'I have never been around a player who can beat five guys,' Riley said. 'He kept finding guys all night. He just took it to another level. We're so blessed to have him.'
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